Summer is almost here and it’s time to get planning a year of festivals to be remember, from east to west and north to south. The best music festivals in the world tick every box, every genre and every style.
Are you going to be able to visit all 9 of these in the same year? Probably not, so work your way through our list and make your choices from there. You can’t go wrong with any of them, after all.
After the last few years, there’s always the fear that these events could be postponed or cancelled, so it is always wise to keep an eye on the latest news. We dearly hope that some of the classics return in 2023, but for now, these awesome festivals will be more than enough.
Glastonbury, Somerset, UK
Who would love this?: Old school gig-goers and those needing to tick it off the list
Every summer, when it isn’t having a “fallow year” to give locals a break, the Big Daddy of UK festivals commandeers a chunk of Somerset for music. It’s difficult to convey quite how vast Glasto is, with whole worlds of activity taking place outside the arena as well as an awe-inspiring musical line-up ranging from pop to reggae to rock to dubstep to metal to folk to techno.
Latitude, Suffolk, UK
Who would love this?: Families who just wanna have fun, thirtysomethings who still like a vibe
This Suffolk festival offers the ultimate cool-but-chill weekend away, with a line-up of adventurous pop and alt rock in an cute setting. It’s a very family-friendly affair and the music programming is artfully mixed up with comedy, poetry, spoken-word, dance and theatre. DJs are hidden in the woods for late night fun and the famous colourful sheep roam the surrounding fields. Only downside: it’s kind of remote transport-wise, almost impossible to get to by any means other than Suffolk cow.
Benicàssim, Spain
Who would love this?: People who can successfully achieve a tan
The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (FIB) or Benicàssim for short, is a perfect combo of holidaying and festival. For the former, you’ve got the actual town 20 minutes away, with a glistening sea to dip into. For the latter, you’ve got some of the best guitar music line-ups year in and year out. There’s a reason that it went from 50K capacity in 2009 to 150K in a single decade; it’s a beautiful festival, in a beautiful location.
Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain
Who would love this?: People who like to wear black jeans
The Parc del Fòrum grounds have the feel of an industrial carpark and there is a lack of shade from the sun. So bring comfortable shoes and a hat. Boom. Solved. There, now that the minor gripes are out of the way, let’s count the positives. The kick-off to the European festival season, Primavera gives you bragging rights on seeing reunions du jour and soaring talent. The masterful bills that read like a collection of year-end best-of lists. Everyone is incredibly kind. The Balearic Sea behind you. Spain.
NOS Alive, Lisbon, Portugal
Who would love this?: Headliner-lovers and kebab fans
NOS Alive is undoubtedly one of Europe’s finest festivals. It’s an all-rounder of a festie; stadium-sized DJs and bands, great camping, a swimming pool, a free shuttle service. There’s also the NOS Alive Surf Xperience (you know it’s got to be fun when it starts with an ‘X’) where you can learn to enjoy some of the best waves in Portugal. Plus, the kebabs are outstanding; they put these little crispy bits in that are rather tasty indeed.
Secret Solstice, Reykjavik, Iceland
Who would love this?: Electronica nuts
Thanks to the likes of Björk, Sigur Ros and more, Iceland is now one of the hippest countries to party in, and Secret Solstice is the place to go. Not only does it have a great line-up of DJs and electronica-dabbling bands and artists, it also takes place over the summer solstice weekend: as you’re in Iceland, this means the sun doesn’t set for three whole days.
Tomorrowland, Boom, Belgium
Who would love this?: Glitter-strewn EDM-loving social butterflies
When it comes to throwing huge EDM bashes, only Ultra can compete with Tomorrowland. The Belgian festival, based in the appropriately named town of Boom, has attracted the biggest DJs and electronic music makers in the world for more than ten years now and the party just keeps getting bigger and better. Fest-goers can expect 14 stages of music, volcanoes, giant disco balls, even bigger butterflies and industrial-sized quantities of confetti.
Coachella, Indio, USA
Who would love this?: Celebrities, fashion bloggers, fans of the sun, those who use the Mayfair filter in Instagram
Sure, this California festival is known for being a celeb-spotter’s place, but this shouldn’t distract us from the bangin’ lineup it assembles every year, which typically includes the hottest rising stars, pop icons at the peak of their powers (we’re talking Beyoncé and Ariana Grande level), and a few juicy exclusives. You’ll probably spot some punters posing for the ‘gram, but many others will be just be loving the awesome music and gorgeous Californian weather.
Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, Australia
Who would love this?: Party-starting intellectuals
After nearly 20 years, Splendour in the Grass is becoming something of an Aussie go0to. Thirty thousand attendees regularly make the trip to North Byron Highlands for three days of fine music (including big name acts), art and camping. The site itself is sprawling: in some cases the stages are 20 minutes apart. So take plenty of water: you’ll be walking a lot in the hot sun. You can also exercise your brain at the Splendour forum: home to talks, comedy shows and much philosophical pondering.
